Electrically uniting metals.



F. COSTELLO. ELECTRICA LLY umrms mews APPLICATION FILED JAN. 3. 1911'. RENEWED ocT. H. 1911.

1,248,812. I Patented Dec. 4, 1917.

W/Z'NE88E8: v INVENTOR mfomzcgmeoyrzuj rom STATES, PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK A. COSTELLO, OF SOUTHBBIDGE, MASSACHUQETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY KESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO HARRISON F. LYMAN, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

nnncrarcamrcmrmc mnrnns. I

Specification of Letters Patent. v

Patented Dec. 4,;1917.

Application filed January 3, 1911, Serial No. 600,587. Renewed October 11, 1917, Serial No. 196,090.

To (ZZZ whom it mag concern:

Be it known that I, Fminnnicx A." Cos- TELLO, a citizen of the United States, residing at Southbridge, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrically Uniting Metals, of

-which the following isaspecification.

invention relates to an improved 'method of, and apparatus for, electrically uniting metals. v

The invention consists broadly in placing the metals to be united in electrical contact and providing means for controlling the flow of current through the parts to be united by the melting away of the uniting material.

In carrying out my method in its prefer able form, I first provide means for clamping the parts to be united so that they may be retained in desired position.-

I next pro- "vide means for electrically connecting the parts to be united and the clamping means when the electric circuit is complete and then provide means for electrically connecting the I material which is to be fused to unite the parts in such a manner that when the material which is to be fused is brought into contact with the joint which is to be united, the

circuit electrically connecting the clamping meansis completed and the'portion of the material to be fused which is in contact with the joint will be melted ofi', thereby breaking the circuit connecting the clamping means and unitin the parts when the fused material solidi es.

In order that the above described method of uniting metals may be carried into effect in an economical and expeditious manner on a large scale, I have devised an apparatus well adapted for my purpose which I will now describe.

operating the relay 10. 12 is the fusing ma- 15 are the leads of the relay cir- The parts'l and 2 which areto be united are held in physical and electrical contact in clamps 3 and 4, respectively, which are insulated from 'each other at 5. The clamps 3 and 4 are connected to a secondary low voltage coil of a step-down transformer 6 energized throu h a'hig h voltage primary coil 7 which is in turn energized from the source of power through the leads 8. The primary circuit is opened and closed by a switch at 9 operated by a relay coil 10 energized by a battery or source of current supply 11 electrically connecting the clamp 4 and the material to be fused 12, which is wound on a s 001 13 made of conductive material and e ectrically connected with the relay circuit.

The method of operation is as follows:

The partsl and 2 which are to be united are clamped in the clamps 3 and 4 so that their junctions will form an electric contact. At the starting of this operation the switch at 9 is open and the transformer 6 and 7 consequently is receiving no energy. .The fusing material 12 is next brought in contact with the parts to be united at the joint whereupon the relay circuit is closed and relay 10 is energized and closes the switch at 9 completing the circuit in the primary coil. This allows the high voltage current to flow through the primary coil 7 of the step-down transformer and induces a low voltage current to flow through the secondary coil 6, the leads 14, the clamps 3 and 4 and the parts to be united 1 and 2. The closing of the fusing circuit causes the temperature'of the parts-to be united 1 and 2 to be raised to a point sufficient to melt the fusing material 12, causing it to flow into the joint between the parts 1 and 2. This melting away of the fusing material throws it out of contact with clamp 4, thereby -break ing the relay circuit through relay 10, which throws out the switch at 9 breaking the primary circuit, thereby allowing the parts 1 and 2 to cool and the fusin material" to solidify in the joint between t em.

It will .be noted that when the circuit is broken at 9 through the action of the relay 10 the flow of high voltage current through the primary. coil of the transformer 7 is cut ofi" which in turn also cuts off the flow of the low voltage current through the secondary coil 6 and consequently stops all further heating or rise of temperature in the parts to be united:

, Various changes'can be-made-in the arrangements without departing from the spirit of my invention, 1, therefore, do not desire to be strictly limited to the details shown and; described.

Having "thus describe dJny invention, what r I claim. as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent isl:

1. An electric soldering apparatus including a secondary circuit, and a supplemental circuit including the solder tocontrol the energization of the secondary circuit.

2. An electric soldering appa'ratusconsisting of a primary circuit, a secondary circuit, andac ircuit, including the solder for controlling the energization of the other twoelectric soldering apparatus ,comprising a primary circuit, a secondary ciremit, a switch in one of said circuits, and means independent of said 'circuit and including the solder for operating the switch.- .4. 11 an electro-solderin device, a secondary circuit, including the 0 jects-to be united,

a controlling circuit, including the solder for g0verning the action of the secondary-- c rcuit 7 5.: Ah apparatus' of the class described,

consistingof a primary circuit, asecondary circuit, a-controlling circuit, including'the solder, and means operated by the control--- ling circuitto open the primary circuit when the solder is melted.

v v 6. An electric soldering apparatus, ,con-

. circuit includin sisting of a primary circuit, a switch in the primary circuit, a relay coil operating'sald switch, a secondary circult, and means, In-

cluding the solder, for energizing the relay coil.

- 7. An electric soldering apparatus, consisting of a primary circuit, a switch in said primary circuit, a secondary circuit in inductive relation to said primary circuit, and a controlling circuit, including the solder, and a relay coil, .for' operating the switch whereby the relay coil is energized when the controlling circuitis closed. 8. An electric soldering device, COIIlPl'lS- mg a primary, c1rcu1t, a swltch 1n said circuit, said switch being normally open, a relay coil for operating said switch. a secondary circuit, said secondary circuit including the parts to be united, and acontrolling circuit,'including the solder, for energizing the switch in said primary circuit.

9. An electric soldering apparatus, con-' sisting of a primary circuit, a switch in saidcircuit, said switch being normally open, a relay coil for closing the normally open relay coil and closing the normally open switch, a secondary circuit, said secondary cause the solder to move from said contact,

breaking the controlling circuit and opening the parts to be united, and.-

a controlling circuit, including the solder, said solder being placed in contact with the parts to be united at the contact of said Y parts, whereby the melting of the solder will 

